Worthy
by A Wilting Rose
Summary: The more he thought about it, he and his Earthland self weren't all that different. In fact, they had many similarities. One, they both liked the color scarlet. Two, they were both in love with women whose names were Erza. MYSTWALKER OR EDOLAS JERZA OR EDOJERZA OR MYSTOWALKER OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT


_The more he thought about it, he and his Earthland self weren't all that different. In fact, they had many similarities. One, they both liked the color scarlet._ _Two, they were both in love with women whose names were Erza_.

But then comes their differences. First of all, Jellal of Edolas. He was the King of Edolas. Adored by all his people, and he, with confidence, ruled the land. He had the power to express his feelings.

Meanwhile, the Jellal from Earthland was a fugitive. He didn't have the free will to simply take off his hood, not without consequences anyway. He was glutton for punishment if anything. He didn't like the knowledge of his Earthland self practically torturing himself, but he knew the guy had his reasons that he shouldn't need to mess with.

Then there were the two Erzas. The one he had known for the longer time, Erza Scarlet. She was an extremely powerful battler and mage, especially with the help from her friends and loved ones. She was compassionate, and not afraid to show what she truly felt.

And although she looked _exactly_ like _his_ Erza, save the haircut, Scarlet was different from _Erza Knightwalker._

 _Sure_ , they looked the same. _Sure_ , they were both good battlers. _Sure_ , both of them had good leadership skills.

But _his_ Erza reminded him a little bit, _or perhaps a lot more than what he would like_ , of Earthland's Jellal. She was _always_ trying to punish herself. And in all honesty, it hurt him to see her trying to constantly restrain herself.

* * *

 _At first, the punishment you would give yourself seemed a bit understandable._

Jellal was walking around Edolas. It's only been a month, and without magic, the reconstruction was taking a long time.

Although Erza Knightwalker was unwilling to face such embarrassment at first, and would even go to the point saying having her executed could have been a better punishment, she came to her senses that perhaps her actions were wrong. So she took up the job of helping everyone rebuild, in order to feel less guilty for her terrible actions.

In order to show she was sorry. In order to punish herself.

"Your Majesty." Sugar Boy greeted him. He was sitting on a bench with Hughes, as they both ate sandwiches. It must have been lunch break, Jellal thought to himself.

"Good Afternoon, Sugar Boy, Hughes. By the way, where is Knightwalker? I haven't seen her around lately; I'm getting a _bit_ worried." Sugar Boy threw Hughes a look.

"She's still back in the field, still working as much as she could before she collapses." Hughes frowned. "Honestly, that woman. This is the _third_ time this week she's decided to skip out on lunch."

Sugar Boy nodded, as if to confirm what his comrade was saying was, in fact, the truth. "She's also the one who's done the most work among everyone. I really do wonder where she gets strength like that."

With a nod of appreciation, the King walked away. He was going to check up on the girl with the scarlet hair.

* * *

When he got to the field, he knew the two men from earlier definitely weren't lying. There stood Erza Knightwalker. She was panting heavily, and he could just imagine that she was most likely sweating insanely from the heat and work, as well. She was ignoring the girl beside her, Coco, who looked as if she was pleading her to do something.

As he got closer, he was able to hear their short exchange of words.

"But _Erza-sama_! You'll need to eat _something_ if you want to keep up on your work!"

"I'm strong _enough_ to be able to skip a meal _or two_ , Coco."

"Why can't you just pause for no less than an hour? To catch your breath?"

"I'm staying here, Coco."

"Erza-sama, come on!"

"No means no! Why can't you just let me be?" The red head shouted at her. With wide eyes, the blue haired man watched the scene unfold before him. Coco took a step back, looking as if she was going to tear up.

Erza flinched at her own words. She looked shocked herself.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Erza-sama.. I'll just, go." The speedy girl ran away, and the Knightwalker sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Jellal approached her. " _Erza_." His tone was softer, and pleasant, when he had adressed her. " _Your Majesty._ Don't worry about me, I can do this." She replied simply, without turning around to face him. She immediately knew that he would talk about why she wasn't taking a break like everyone else.

"Erza, _turn around_. Face _me_ , not those blueprints." Although his voice was still soft and kind, it held more conviction and demand to it. Slowly, she turned to face him.

Like he had predicted, beads of sweat were present on her face. The top of her hair was disheveled. Her face were wiped with grease and other markings. She simply looked so distressed and tired.

"I look _terrible_ , don't I?" She chuckled bitterly. "But I don't need you to pity me."

Actually, Jellal thought she looked pretty for someone who's worked herself to bone. He would prefer her healthy and fed, though.

" _Pity? I don't pity you, Erza Knightwalker. I care for you. I'm worried about you._ " That was the first time he had seen her blush, and even if it was just faint, he liked the idea that his words flattered her.

"Now, to the castle we go, fair lady. You're eating lunch with me today." He told her, his hand around her wrist as she blinked in surprise. "What?"

Jellal shook his head in fake disappointment. "You're still not satisfied? Alright then, you're taking the day off as well. Mavis knows you need it. You can go take a nice bath or whatever girls do to relax."

"But Your Majesty-"

"It's _Jellal_ to you, Erza. That's an order. Oh, and you need to promise me that you'll be taking your breaks from now on."

"Sure, Your M _\- Jellal_. Honestly, you're acting like you're my pestering mother now."

"As the King of Edolas, I actually find that pretty offensive. I'm hurt you think of me that way."

* * *

 _Then, you surprised me all the sudden. Does you even know how worried I was?_

Coco came running to the throne room, and as soon as she stopped in front of him, she took heavy breaths. "Your Majesty!"

Jellal frowned. Coco looked as though she was in a hurry when she ran. It must have been urgent. "What's the matter, Coco? Did something happen?"

"Erza's collapsed!" At that moment, Jellal could feel a cold breeze hit his back. He couldn't find the right response. What could have she been doing? Everyone assured him that the Knightwalker was taking breaks now, and that she didn't skip a single meal any day.

So he wondered what could have gone wrong.

"Tell them to have her rest to the bedroom next to my own. I'll have some medics there to take care of her." And he watched the girl speed away once more, as he groaned in distress. "Why, _Erza_."

* * *

Erza Knightwalker was lying in the bed, awake, trying to avoid his stare _and_ question. The doctor had informed Jellal that there were two reasons that could have caused Erza to just faint whilst working.

One, her lack of sleep. Erza hesitantly confirmed that she was barely getting five hours of sleep.

And Two, there was a poison that seeped into her body, as the doctor was able to observe through an open wound that Erza hid with bandages, and it seemed to finally have taken its toll on the red head.

"I'll say it once more, Erza. _Poison_." He was worried for the woman's safety, yes, but he was _mad_ at her as well. You don't just get poisoned _overnight_ without having done something dangerous. And he was sure that no intruders would be able to get to her with all the guards. In fact, he was sure if there was an intruder, Erza could have handled it herself.

"Just _how_ did you even get poisoned?" He inquired. Her eyes looked at everywhere but his own.

"There was news of a group of guys killing young women and children if they passed by a certain alley after midnight, so I came to check it out.."

"It still doesn't explain the poison, Erza. And didn't you have other people with you? Or-" He stared at her suspiciously. "You investigated on your own." She stayed silent, but he could tell what he said was true.

As Jellal sat by her beside, he groaned his head in frustration. " _Damn it_ , Erza. These men guy has been killing children and _young women_. You're the _perfect_ target. With magic, sure you could have handled the whole group easily, but.."

"Jellal-"

"And you're extremely lucky the doctors were able to disinfect that poison, and that it hasn't affected you badly. But what if it had, Erza? What am I going to do? I'm still worried sick about you. I always am. Because I-"

She muttered, just to get him to stop. And also because she was feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, alright? I get it, I should be more careful." Her eyebrows furrowed.

Softening up, Jellal sighed. "Sorry to scold you so much." He put his hand against against her cheek, cupping it. Her cheeks became painted pink. She was thankful that it wasn't the colour of her hair, or she would have been beyond embarrassed that all because _he was too close to her face oh god,_ she turned scarlet.

"M-maybe you should let me rest."

"Hm? Did you say something, Erza?" Jellal said nonchalantly, watching her closely. He loved the colour of her eyes, how her lips would move. But he loved the vibrant colour of her hair the most, the way it reminded him of a beautiful sunset. It reminded him of the pleasant smell of roses, the delicious taste of strawberries. In fact, Erza's herself reminded him of all the pleasant things in the world.

"I'm in love with you, aren't I?" He said softly. Her eyes widened. Did she mishear? "Jellal?"

"I'll let you rest. I want you healed up as soon as possible." And he walked out of the bed room, taking his leave. The scarlet haired beauty lay in bed, thinking to herself about what she just heard.

"You can't.. I don't.. deserve you."

* * *

 _Why can't you just forgive yourself? Why don't you just let me love you?_

Erza Knightwalker was doing all she could to avoid him these past days, that much he could tell. Everyday, they would converse about the progress of the rebuilding of the Royal City, the minor issues around the country, and as well as more personal stuff- such as how each other's day went. He missed having those talks with her.

Actually, he missed her in general.

"You miss Erza, don't ya?" Sugar Boy had said once, a smirk evident on his face. "How'd you come to that conclusion?" He replied quietly. The blond laughed. "As if you haven't been giving her special attention, Dear King. You might as well be dating."

"Dating? Erza Knightwalker? Impossible." With the way she is, it would take a _lifetime_ for her to even allow me to _court_ her. As the King, he definitely could order her to do as he says, but that would make him a sadist. Besides, he didn't want to abuse his power at all, especially around her. If she simply said she didn't like him that way, he would definitely keep his distance. After all, in his mind, she was his queen.

Yet avoiding him without a word. He couldn't get a clear picture on what she thought. Did she like him too? Did she find him odd? _Tell me, Erza. What do you truly feel_?

" _She likes you more than she lets on_." Hughes butted in suddenly. Jellal didn't even notice him join them. "From what I could tell, she's probably trying to punish herself again. She's made some _stupid creed_ about that too- _'Don't get close, don't fall in love, with those who walk in the light'_ or something like that." The black haired man scoffed.

The blunet stayed silent. "Your Majesty, we will be returning to work now. Have a good day." Sugar Boy then said, as he and his friend bowed, walking away from him.

* * *

He found her sitting on a bench in the city, alone, past midnight. She didn't say much before he approached her; She just kept drinking what he assumed to be beer. "You _do_ know its past midnight, right? You should probably be resting right now. You need as much energy as you can for tomorrow." He told her.

Erza casually shrugged. "I guess I should head home.. But I could ask the same to you. What's the damn King of Edolas doing out here, talking to a girl on a bench in front of a pub?"

"I can't just go for a stroll around the city?"

"Which normal person can just be found roaming around past midnight?"

"And who said I was ordinary? I'm the King." He grinned. "And besides, you're here too."

The red head frowned. "Except I wasn't strolling around like I'm in a park, Jellal. I was drinking." Jellal took a seat beside her, wanting the conversation to go a bit longer. He felt rude for taking advantage of the alcohol she was drinking. It probably got her to loosen up to him, but he needed answers to the questions keeping him up at night.

"Honestly, I don't know how you people can even drink beer. It tastes terrible. Wine has more taste to it." The disgust was present on his face, and all she did was drink more of her beer. "If you're not celebrating, people usually drink alcohol to drown their sorrows away." She started explaining.

"Sorrows?"

"Sorrows. The sadness and regret felt when you do something terrible. That feeling of wanting to die. That feeling.." She paused briefly to look into his eyes. "That feeling, when you love someone so much- yet you can't. Yet it's forbidden."

His heart skipped a beat as he replayed her words in his head. She basically said it, even if it was indirect. She reciprocated his feelings. She was in love with him too. Yet, why was she avoiding him? She was hurting herself, and hurting him along the way too.

"Why is it forbidden to love, Erza?" He asked.

"It's all for punishment." She replied. "I need to be able to atone to my sins. I don't want someone to pity me, or to take care of me, or to love me. I need to truly feel sorry for what I have done, you know. And all these happy feelings aren't going to help with that."

"I've forgiven you already, Erza. You don't need to be punished so much. Haven't I already given you your punishment?" The reconstruction of the city was the punishment tasked to her, as well as the others. It was a painful task, much sweat given off, so why was she still doing this to herself? Yes, she had given off her reasons- Yet he still couldn't understand.

"Don't you deserve to feel happiness too?"

She snapped at him, her eyes set a blaze, her hair swishing as she turned her body to face him fully. "No, I don't!" She said angrily. Yet her anger wasn't aimed towards him. It was anger towards herself. "I don't deserve to be happy.. I don't deserve.. Your love."

He grabbed hold of her face, making her eyes look into his. The woman could see the swirl of emotions, all being contained in there. The anger, the frustration, the care, the worry, the warmth, the love. All of them, because of her. "I think I can decide for myself who deserves my love and who doesn't." Jellal replied cooly.

He put his face closer to hers, only a mere inch away from kissing each other. They felt the other's warmth against theirs.

"And I say that you're worthy of my love. Now, Erza Knightwalker. Tell me, am I worthy of yours?" For the first time in weeks, she smiled. And it was a beautiful sight.

"Yes." And suddenly, she felt his lips hit her own.

* * *

 ** _Authors Note_** : _I pretty much rushed this. I had the idea since yesterday, so I just had to write it before I lost all inspiration. So yes this was barely edited, and there's probably a couple grammar and spelling errors here and there. ALSO, I'm not sure on either of their personality. I found Mystogan/EdoJellal to be pretty similar to Normal Jellal? Except less on that regret sad thing. I liked the idea that like EarthJellal, EdoErza felt regret and wanted to atone as well. They could be OOC though, sorry. ALSO UGH USING JELLAL AND ERZA AS NAMES ARE WEIRD? I've always addressed them as "Mystogan" and "Knightwalker" but I thought about it and it would be also weird since Mystogan isnt his real name? And Knightwalker was the last name? So yeah so many issues ugh._

 _Thankfully I was able to finish this thing in an hour or so. I have like two one shots in my drafts now. Well, IDEAS. One is a more love triangle type of thing with Sting, Yukino, and Rogue. But its mostly Sting X Yukino. The other is a bit more mature themed and in an HS AU, also Sting X Yukino. I've only started loving the couple a few days ago but it's become a recent favorite._

 ** _EITHER WAY IF YOU ENJOYED PLEASE LEAVE A FAVORITE, FOLLOW ME, AND/OR LEAVE A REVIEW! MERCI, FRANNY, SIGNING OFF!_**

 ** _Currently: Unedited. Further proofreading to be done some time soon._**


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